The present invention relates generally to a sports racquet. In particular, the present invention relates to racquet including a string bed with elongated peripheral main string segments providing an enlarged sweet spot.
Sport racquets, such as tennis, racquetball, squash and badminton racquets, are well known and typically include a frame having a head portion coupled to a handle portion. The head portion supports a string bed having a plurality of main string segments interwoven with a plurality of cross string segments. Many racquets also include a throat portion positioned between and connecting the handle portion to the head portion. The typical string bed of a sports racquet includes a central region, that provides the most responsiveness, the greatest power and the best xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d to the player, upon impact with a ball, and a peripheral region. The central region, commonly referred to as the xe2x80x9csweet spot,xe2x80x9d is typically defined as the area of the string bed that produces higher coefficient of restitution (xe2x80x9cCORxe2x80x9d) values. A higher COR generally directly corresponds to greater power and greater responsiveness.
The peripheral region is the region between the sweet spot and the hoop of the head portion of the racquet. The peripheral region provides increasingly reduced levels of responsiveness power and feel to the player the further away the location of impact occurs from the sweet spot. As a result, a typical racquet provides a wide variety of responsiveness and power depending upon the location of the impact. In many racquets, a mis-hit, occurring just a small distance away from the sweet spot, can produce an undesired response from the racquet. The significant variability in a string bed""s power and responsiveness between the sweet spot and locations about the peripheral region can result in inconsistent play if the player does not consistently impact the ball at the sweet spot. The variability of the string bed response can also reduce the margin of error afforded to the player upon impact with a ball, which can contribute to unforced errors.
Some existing racquets incorporate a larger sized hoop portion supporting a larger sized string bed (i.e., a larger head size) in an effort to increase the size of the string bed and the sweet spot. However, as the head size of a racquet increases so does the polar moment of inertia of the racquet. A racquet with a higher polar moment of inertia can be more difficult to maneuver, particularly at the net or upon return of serve, than a racquet with a lower moment of inertia. Additionally, some users find a large head racquets to be more difficult to swing than racquets with normal sized heads.
Other existing racquets extend the length of the central most main string segments in order to increase the size of the racquet""s sweet spot. However, the central main string segments of a typical string bed are generally already of sufficient length to provide the desired response at the central most portions of the string. Further increasing the length of the already elongated central main string segments can produce too much variability in the string bed performance and potentially lead to a string bed with undesirable variability in response and performance.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a racquet having a string bed with an enlarged sweet spot, which does not negatively effect the overall performance of the racquet. It would be advantageous to produce a racquet with a string bed that provides a high level of response and power over a larger area, without producing excessive or undesirable variability in response or performance across the string bed. What is needed is a racquet that can increase the performance of the racquet at the peripheral regions of the string bed and generally enlarge the sweet spot of the racquet. It would be advantageous to provide a racquet with an enlarged sweet spot without increasing the polar moment of inertia of the racquet head and without negatively affecting the maneuverability of the racquet. There is also a need for a racquet having a string bed with an enlarged sweet spot that is not a radical departure in look and design from traditional sport racquet designs.
There also exists a continuing need for innovative approaches to efficiently and reliably securing elongated racquet string(s) to a racquet. In particular, it would be advantageous to provide a racquet that allows for elongated main string segments to be coupled or engaged to the throat or handle of the racquet without producing unnecessary stress risers in the racquet frame, and without providing restricted or rough string passages. It would be desirable to produce a lightweight durable article for facilitating the passage of racquet string through the racquet frame, and a method of making such an article, that can be incorporated into a composite racquet in a reliable and cost efficient manner. It would be advantageous if such a method were applicable to other composite sporting goods such as, for example, ball bats and golf shafts.
The present invention provides a sports racquet including a frame, a yoke and a string bed. The frame includes a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions. The head portion includes an upper region, and first and second side regions. The yoke is coupled to, and extending between, the first and second side regions. The head portion and the yoke define a string bed area. The string bed is formed of a plurality of cross string segments and a plurality of main string segments. The main string segments include at least one central main string segment and at least two peripheral main string segments. Each central main string segment has first and second ends wherein the first end engages the upper region of the head portion and the second end engages the yoke without engaging either the throat portion or the handle portion. Each of the peripheral main string segments extends, across the string bed area, through the yoke, and into the throat portion. Each peripheral main string segment is coupled at a distal end to the upper region of the head portion and at a proximal end to at least one of the throat portion and the handle portion.
According to a principal aspect of the invention, a sports racquet configured to support a string bed formed by a plurality of transversely extending cross string segments and a plurality of longitudinally extending central main string segments and a plurality of longitudinally extending peripheral main string segments, wherein each of the central and peripheral main string segments have a distal end and a proximal end includes a frame, a yoke and at least one peripheral main string support mechanism. The frame includes a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions. The head portion includes an upper region, and first and second side regions. The yoke is coupled to, and extends between, the first and second side regions. The head portion and the yoke define a string bed area. The yoke include a central section and first and second side sections. The central section is configured for engaging the proximal end of at least one central main string segment, and the first and second side sections is configured to allow for at least one peripheral main string segment to extend through the yoke. The main string support mechanism is included in the throat portion or the handle portion. The peripheral main string support mechanism is configured to engage the proximal end of the at least one peripheral main string segments.
According to another principal aspect of the invention, a sports racquet includes a frame and a string bed. The frame includes a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions. The string bed is coupled to the frame and is formed of a plurality of cross and main string segments. The main string segments include at least two central main string segments and at least two peripheral main string segments. The length of each of the peripheral main string segments is greater than the length of each of the central main string segments.
According to another principal aspect of the invention, a sports racquet includes a frame, a yoke, at least two central main string segments, and at least two peripheral main string segments. The frame extends along a longitudinal axis and includes a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions. The head portion includes first and second side regions. The yoke is coupled to, and extends between, the first and second side regions. The central main string segments include at least one central-most main string segment having a first length. The central-most main string segment is positioned at, or adjacent to, the longitudinal axis. The peripheral main string segments include at least one outermost peripheral main string segment. The outermost peripheral main string segment has a second length. The outermost peripheral main string segment is spaced apart from the longitudinal axis and is positioned adjacent to one of the first and second side regions of the head portion. The second length is at least 75 percent of the first length.
According to another principal aspect of the invention, a method of producing a sporting goods article includes obtaining a mandrel and positioning plural composite layers adjacent each other over the mandrel to form a first portion of the sporting goods article. The method also includes obtaining a first structural element formed of a thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material having a melting point greater than 325 degrees F., and positioning the first structural element in a predetermined position adjacent to the first portion. The method further includes applying at least one additional composite layer over at least a portion of one of the first portion and the first structural element, and curing the first portion, and the at least one additional composite layer.
This invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described herein below, and wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts.